Iowa — 2nd District

Democrat Lindsay James released her first televised ad of the election season, tying her background as a Presbyterian minister and chaplain to her convictions and motivations as a lawmaker.

James, a state representative from Dubuque running for northeastern Iowa's 2nd Congressional District, unveiled a 30-second spot titled "Fighter" on Wednesday, Sept. 9. It will run across broadcast, digital and cable platforms.

The ad starts with James standing beside rows of wooden church pews.

"I became a chaplain to serve people in their hardest moments. I’m a mom worried about our kids inheriting a broken system that doesn’t work for us anymore," James says in the ad.

It transitions to her family holding hands around the dinner table and speaking to voters.

"And I’m a fighter who took on corporate lobbyists in Des Moines trying to drown out the voices of regular Iowans. In Washington, I’ll work to bring down everyday costs. I approve this message because my faith teaches me that caring for my neighbor is not optional,” she says.

James has centered her campaign around using values and experiences gained through her time as a chaplain and minister to take on a system she says benefits the ultra-wealthy over working-class and vulnerable Iowans as the cost of living increases. She points to her work in the legislature, where she called out large corporations she said were taking advantage of Iowans.

"She sat with people in their hardest moments, fought to improve her kids' lives, and took on big insurance and greedy private equity firms in the Iowa legislature," her campaign said in a release announcing the ad. "In Washington, she’ll oppose policies raising prices on gas, groceries, and housing, and take on ultra-wealthy insiders trying to make a buck on the backs of taxpayers."

During this campaign cycle, James has faced numerous faith-based attacks from Republicans over her religious beliefs, arguing her views and positions are too progressive for Iowa.

The state lawmaker is running in a district controlled by Republicans since 2021, where the party holds a nearly 27,000-voter registration edge over Democrats. There are about 150,000 no-party voters in the district that includes cities like Dubuque, Cedar Rapids, Waterloo, Cedar Falls and Mason City.

But incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinsons' exit from the seat to run for U.S. Senate has made the seat more competitive for Democrats, who view it as a seat to flip in their path to regaining control of the U.S. House. Election forecasters, including the Cook Political Report and Sabato's Crystal Ball, have gradually moved it from "likely Republican" to "lean Republican."

James will face Republican Joe Mitchell, a former state lawmaker and Trump administration housing official from Clear Lake, in the general election.